#5. Colonel Edward M. Offley Collection; Framed Cavalry Insignia. SOLD

Description

Having had an incredible amount of material belonging to career cavalry officer, Colonel Edward M. Offley, we tried to keep the collection intact for years now, but sadly I must break up the collection in the attempt to move it along. There will be single and small lots, as well as larger groups with combinations of uniforms, insignia, photo and or paper, etc.  All lots offered will be titled, “Colonel Edward M. Offley Collection.

Framed in 1998 by the grandson of Colonel Offley, this great grouping of insignia from the Colonel’s career as a private up through to 1st sergeant in Troop “G” of the 1st U.S. Cavalry.  He was stationed for the better part of his enlisted days at Fort Meade, South Dakota, and then Fort Yellowstone, Wyoming.

The insignia was placed on a piece of dark blue felt, and wonderfully hand sewn to the wool, with decorative stitching. His cap insignia and a general service button from one of his early uniforms was placed on the wool as well.  Offley’s initials are expertly embroidered in the center, and finally a commercial blue and gold rope type border was applied to the perimeter.  I have no doubt that this may have been a gift to the colonel from his wife in later years  for nostalgic reasons, or perhaps the colonel commissioned a local seamstress to bring all these fragments of his early career together for viewing. This work was not done recently.  The piece is set within the frame, which acts no more than a shadow box for the earlier piece.

What is incredible, is the phenomenal rise through the enlisted/NCO ranks that Offley achieved from his date of enlistment on January 9, 1899 to his discharge (then 1st Sgt) on April 22, 1901. The following day he was commissioned a 2nd Lt. of cavalry.

The condition, other than some soiling on the chevrons is fine or better. The grandson has placed a brief history of his grandfather’s career on the reverse side.

A remarkable collection of identified insignia seldom seen with the degree of work performed here to preserve his part of the past.

Colonel Edward Murray Offley’s career began in 1899 to his retirement in at Fort Myer, Va in October, 1937 after 38 years of active service, most of that being in the cavalry.  He served in several regiment through the years, at many army posts in the southwest, west, Panama, etc.; he saw service in the Philippines with the 1st Cavalry.  During WWI, he was given the assignment to raise, train and command the 308th Machine Gun Battalion, 78th Division in the AEF, where he received the Purple Heart, being wounded at Boise De Loge on 14, Oct., 1918, while serving with the British 2nd Army in the Hazebrouck Sector on the Western Front.  His last assignment was with 2nd Cavalry at Fort Myer, Va.